1997 dodge caravan serpentine belt breaks often

Their is a belt tensioner on it The bolt in the center is usally a 5/8 or 9/16 use a socket and socket wrench and move the wheel back its spring loaded and remove the belt and reverse to put it back on

you will need a 3/8'' drive breaker bar to pull back & hold the ''belt tensioner'' away & while doing so remove the serpentine belt. there is a 3/8'' square hole in the tensioner where you apply the bar. watch your fingers!

You'll need a Serpentine Belt Tool and a socket set.

Rotate the Caravan's serpentine belt tensioner assembly clockwise to relieve the tension on the belt. Slip the belt off the tensioner with your free hand before rotating the tensioner back to its home position. Remove the tool.
Extract the two mounting bolts that hold the serpentine belt tensioner assembly to the Caravan's front engine cover using your socket set. Depending on your physical size and dexterity, you may find this easier to accomplish through the top of the engine well or through the passenger-side wheel well.
Pull the old serpentine belt tensioner assembly out of the Caravan's engine bay by hand. Place the new serpentine belt tensioner assembly on the Caravan's front engine cover and bolt it in using your socket set.
Rotate the new serpentine belt tensioner assembly clockwise with the serpentine belt tool and then place the belt on the pulley by hand. Rotate the new serpentine belt tensioner assembly back into place. Remove the tool and close the hood.

Get the replacement belt, and then note the pulleys that have smooth finish, and note the pulleys that have the grooved finish.

Just 'thread' the serpentine belt, one pulley after another alternating between the smooth and grooved until the last remaining pulley is the tensioner pulley.

Use the breaker bar to allow the pulley to accept the belt, and you're done.

you can keep the old belt routing by replacing the a/c compressor with a bypass pulley

Misalignment of the belt, incorrect belt, worn or loose tensioner, Too tight of an adjustment (many service centers do this on purpose so when the belt breaks in it becomes properly adjusted, I do not believe in this philosophy), The belt is actually one long belt called a serpentine belt.....

check serpentine belt tenssioner

On this particular model of the 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan I determined that the upper hose from the water pump had slipped off and anti-freeze squirted on the serpentine belt causing it to slip off. Once the belt gets slick it never stays on. I replaced the belt by loosing the tensioner which is the idler pulley located in the center of the configuration, A big thanks to user motor1258for the configuration diagram.

I go to the local parts store & buy a repair book for the vehicle for approx. $20, read the procedure in the book, gather the tools & parts required, replace the belt per the instructions

I have the belt diagram if you send me your email and what information you have posted on here, I will send you the diagram you need.
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